| Summary: | <p>The removal and treatment of the viscera through the mummification processes were an
essential and characteristic element of ancient Egyptian funerary culture, traditionally
associated with the preservation of the body for the afterlife. This understanding originates
from Victorian interpretations of death and the body. Several recent studies have used
anthropological concepts and frameworks to challenge these views and gain important new
insights into mummification processes and ancient Egyptian mortuary practices more
generally. Until now, evisceration and canopic practices have only been studied through a
traditional framework—devaluing their importance in broader funerary practices as simply
a necessary step towards preservation of the body. This thesis addresses this limitation by
analysing canopic practices through an alternative interpretative framework and the study
of conceptual and material perspectives.</p>
<p>The approach and analysis outlined in this thesis are grounded in the principles and methods
of ritual practice theory, encompassing both conceptual and material perspectives.
Borrowing from anthropology, the framework of ‘rites of passage’ provides a means to
reinterpret evisceration processes as transformation of corporeal materiality. Within this
framework, an analysis of textual sources and archaeological data is conducted to develop
an emic understanding of canopic practices. The material perspective is addressed using the
framework of material culture, that facilitates an understanding of past and present societies
through the study of the material they created and used. Within this thesis, the key materials
analysed include canopic jars and figurines of the four Sons of Horus. Interpretation of this
material is made within the wider funerary context, from a variety of sites, across a time of
transformative socio-economic change—the early first millennium BCE.</p>
<p>Through application of the alternative interpretative framework to existing concepts and
materials, several new insights into canopic practices have been derived: (i) that the
treatment of the viscera is a ‘rite of passage’—where the viscera are materially and
ontologically transformed into divine entities; (ii) that viscera were conceptualised as
manufacturers of bodily fluids that supported transformation of body materiality; (iii) that
the Sons of Horus played a role as protectors of the deceased; (iv) that canopic jars should
be conceived as embodiments of the Sons of Horus, rather than containers; and (v) that
despite material changes in early first millennium BCE canopic equipment (standard,
pseudo- and dummy canopic jars; wax and wooden figurines), there is conceptual continuity
in the representation of the Sons of Horus in the funerary context. In addition to contributing
new knowledge and understanding of canopic practices, this thesis adds to a growing body
of evidence that enables a more holistic interpretation of Egyptian funerary practices.</p>
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